House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., works with Republican members of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 5, 2011. He is flanked by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., right, with Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, at left. The pace of budget negotiations in Congress is quickening as a deadline for a government shutdown looms at week's end. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) less

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., works with Republican members of the committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 5, 2011. He is flanked by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., right, ... more

Republican Bill Flores puts on his coat before watching election results, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, in Bryan, Texas. Flores is running against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, for the Texas 17th District seat. ... more

Photo: AP

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Republican Bill Flores campaigns outside the First Baptist Church of Woodway Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 in Waco, Texas, Flores is running against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, for the Texas 17th District seat. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Rod Aydelotte) less

Republican Bill Flores campaigns outside the First Baptist Church of Woodway Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 in Waco, Texas, Flores is running against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, for the Texas 17th District seat. ... more

Photo: AP

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Republican Bill Flores campaigns outside the First Baptist Church of Woodway Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 in Waco, Texas, Flores is running against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, for the Texas 17th District seat .(AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Rod Aydelotte) less

Republican Bill Flores campaigns outside the First Baptist Church of Woodway Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 in Waco, Texas, Flores is running against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, for the Texas 17th District seat ... more

Representatives of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs testified Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill about the growing problem of veteran suicides.

Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, a member of the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee, said the rate of suicides were increasing, due to increased rates among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Flores said the reasons behind the trend remain mysterious, despite the VA’s increased resources on the issue.

“We are spending a lot more money to solve this issue, yet the rate is staying the same,” Flores said.

An estimated 22 veterans per day killed themselves in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available.

Flores noted that the VA spent 39 percent more on mental health in the last six years, with a 41 percent increase in personnel.

Flores hypothesized that longer service times in the two recent conflicts could explain the trend, but he said he hopes to push the committee to research this theory. He also hopes to convince the VA to work with private organizations in their communities such as churches and community centers as well as provide more economic opportunities to veterans, especially with the draw down in Afghanistan where 34,000 soldiers will return home.

Flores expressed concern over the strong correlation between substance abuse among veterans and suicide.

The report from the VA had to estimate the suicides nationwide, as it was still missing data from Texas and California. It noted that the overwhelming majority of suicides were men, and the most dangerous age group was 50-59.

The report contrasted veterans’ suicides with non-veterans’. In the general population, men’s risk of suicide generally decreased as they aged, with 20-29 year olds the highest risk age group. Male veterans saw a general increase in suicide risk as they aged, though it peaked at 50-59, and decreased slightly among the oldest groups. Women’s risk of suicide by age was nearly the same between veterans and non-veterans.

Witnesses at the hearing noted that inadequacies in VA mental health care might exacerbate problems. Linda Schwartz, the VA Commissioner in Connecticut noted that inability to reach the VA frustrates many veterans.

“It is not uncommon for veterans to drop out of treatment because they are disappointed with the wait times for appointments,” She said in a statement to the committee. “Many veterans are unwilling to devote and entire day to coming to the VA for care.”

During the hearing she noted that veterans without a vehicle could take as long as two days to reach VA mental health facilities in Connecticut.

The American Legion sent the committee a report saying that nearly 700,000 of the 1.5 million veterans who returned in the past decade never utilized the VA for mental treatment or evaluation.